WT’s Engler College of Business Spearheading 2 New Podcasts

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A pair of podcasts launching this week will explore leadership and entrepreneurship, thanks to West Texas A&M University students and faculty in the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business .

BuffSpeak and the Stan Sigman Leadership and Innovation Podcast are scheduled to launch the week of Sept. 12. They can be found at BuffSpeak.biz or Sigman.wtamu.edu , respectively, or any major podcast app.

Both podcasts will be co-produced by Media Minds, the student-run marketing arm of the Engler College of Business.

"The pandemic pushed podcasts into orbit, and we are now hooked,” said Dr. Nicholas Gerlich, WT’s Hickman Professor of Marketing. “They are the antidote to long drives and repetitive workouts.”

Photo: Dr. Leslie Ramos Salazar, WT's Abdullat Professor of Business, is interviewed by Dr. Nick Gerlich, WT's Hickman Professor of Marketing, for an upcoming episode of the podcast BuffSpeak.

Gerlich hosts BuffSpeak, which will feature interviews with regional thought leaders. The first episode features Brent McClure, general manager of NewsChannel 10 in Amarillo. Future episodes will include conversations with Dr. Leslie Ramos Salazar, WT’s Abdullat Professor of Business; Dr. James Owens, a recently retired WT professor of business; Brennen Matthews, editor of Route Magazine; and Kaleb West, owner of Pondaseta Brewing Co.

The Sigman podcast is tied to WT’s Stan Sigman Business Leadership and Innovation Series , an initiative begun by friends of Sigman, a WT graduate and former telecommunications executive who was instrumental in the industry-shaking AT&T partnership with Apple’s iPhones.

“The Sigman series celebrates Stan’s visionary leadership style,” said Dr. Jeffry Babb, WT’s Sigman Professor of Business. “In recognition of his success, the series and accompanying podcast will focus on Stan’s insights, and the insights of others who share Stan’s disposition to achieve innovation through leadership.”

The first episode features Mark Collins and Paul Roth, former AT&T executives who were principal organizers of fundraising effort in Sigman’s memory. Future episodes will include conversations with industry leaders in technology and innovation, as well as a special focus on the Fall 2022 edition of the series, details of which will be announced at a later date.

Gerlich joined the WT faculty in 1989 and was a pioneer in the University’s online programs.

Babb joined the WT faculty in 2009 and teaches classes in computer programming, software development and more.

WT President Walter V. Wendler also hosts a monthly podcast, Reflections from WT . Additional podcasts are in the works in other areas of the University.

Serving the regional community and encouraging leadership development are key principles of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched Sept. 23 — has raised more than $110 million.

Top photo: Dr. Jeffry Babb, WT’s Sigman Professor of Business, left, and Dr. Nicholas Gerlich, WT’s Hickman Professor of Marketing, are the hosts of two new podcasts produced by West Texas A&M University's Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—